The Savage Signal
by Uncle Sporkums
Summary: Gender reversal Superwoman story based on the Max Fleischer cartoons. When random people begin murdering each other, Clara, Louis and Jenny are assigned to investigate. Only to have them come across an otherwordly enemy.


"Up in the sky,look!" "It's a bird!" "It's a plane!" "It's Superwoman!"

"Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive! Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound! This amazing stranger from the planet Krypton! The Woman of Steel: Superwoman! Posessing remarkable physical strength, Superwoman fights a never ending battle for truth and justice! Disguised as a mild mannered newspaper reporter, Clara Kent!"

The man with the blonde, crewcut hair, and beige suit that was three sizes too big, sat on a small, flimsy looking wooden chair that creaked with his every movement. Drops of perspiration streamed down his face. He knew he shouldn't have worn a jacket in this weather, that along with his nerves, was making him sweat. But he wanted to appear respectable so there be a good chance of him getting the job, and being able to support his newly married wife. The small, squared office he was in only seemed to add to his fear of rejection, as if the walls were closing in on him. Suddenly, there came a buzzing noise on the secretary's intercom.

The red haired beauty dressed in a tight, bright green, form fitting dress behind the desk pressed a button down and asked "Yes?"

A tinny, metallic voice comeover it, saying "Send Richards in."

"Right away, sir." The secretary replied, before looking up at the nervous young man and saying sweetly "Go on in, and good luck!"

Richards rose timidly, the chair creaking as he did so, and and passed the woman's desk as approached the executive's door. Had the secretary winked at him? No of course not! Besides, he couldn't be bothered with that, he was married! His wet and clammy hand reached for the chrome doorknob, as his flesh made contact with it, a small jolt of static electricity surged through his index finger! Richards winced as he thrust his hand backward. He then cautiously reached again for the knob and braced himself as he touched it.. nothing this time, it was cold to the touch. Richards turned the knob and opened the door.

Mr. Dumont, a jolly, overweight bald man with a bushy gray moustache, dressed in a white, short sleeved shirt with no tie and navy blue pleated slacks, smiled a toothy grin at Richards and said "Milo, my boy, come in!" in a loud, hearty voice. Richards was surprised that the gentleman had addressed him by his first name. At that point, he felt slightly more relaxed, and returned the smile, closing the door behind him, and stepping into the office.

"Nice to meet you, Milo, my boy!" Dumont said, as he approached Richards, gripped his hand as firmly as a vice, and shook it until Milo was sure that it was going to pop off! "Take a seat, son!" Dumont boistriously invited as he took one himself.

Milo settled into the chair across from Dumont's desk, he was feeling a little more relaxed now because of the man's blissful attitude. Milo noticed that Dumont's large mohagony desk was littered with pictures of him with his wife and children, they looked fully grown in some of the more recent looking ones and most likely lived on their own now.

"First off, let me say that I am truly impressed with your resume, Milo, and I'm thuroughly excited that you've chosen to bring your services to us!" Dumont said with the enthusiasim of a child.

A great weight felt as if it had been lifted off of Milo's shoulders. "You mean it, sir?" Richards eagerly asked, beginning to sit up gleefully.

"Of course, my boy! This company..." Suddenly, Dumont stopped in mid-sentance as he was beginning to become more animated in his gestures. His brow furrowed, he gritted his teeth, and began growling inhumanly, as if he were a feral dog!

"Mr. Dumont? Are you alright?" Milo asked in a worried manner, his body shaking with uncertainty.

Dumont seemed to be angrily focusing on Milo as more gutteral animal noises escaped from his mouth.

"M-Mister Dumont?" Milo stuttered. Suddenly, in one swift motion, Mr. Dumont flipped the desk over, papers and portraits tumbled everywhere, as he roared as loudly as a furious lion whose territory had been invaded, and charged Milo like a one ton bull! The scream of terror barely escaping Milo's lips as he was tackled.

The Daily Planet's headline the next day read "Company President Kills Employee, Then Himself".

In Clara Kent and Louis Lane's stuffy, rather cramped, shared office, various documents and notes littered their desks. Louis, dressed in his usual dark blue suit and trousers, ran his fingers through his moist hair, as he loosened his blood red necktie, desperately sorting through the loose pages of paperwork. "It just doesn't add up, Clara. That's the fifth unmotivated murder this week, and it seems like they're somehow connected. The story's the same: Innocent man or woman with no previous crime record suddenly flips out and kills the nearest person in sight, then does themselves in. I mean, I did a story on Dumont a year ago, and he was one of the kindest, most accomodating men I've ever met! I don't know, maybe it's the heat out there." Louis said, supporting his head with his right hand.

"I feel the exact same way, Louis. It seems too suspicious to be a coincidence" Clara said, adjusting her round framed, thick glasses with her thumb and forefinger. Clara was dressed in her light green shirt and white tie, with a candy pink jacket and matching skirt that reached all the down to her ankles, and her feet were adorned with a pair of common looking black dress shoes.

Louis would sometimes tease her about her fashion sense, saying "Clarybelle, I worry that someday you're going to trip on that long skirt of yours." before playfully chuckling.

[Perhaps, but how else could I hide my Superwoman costume?] Clara would think to herself. But today there was no witty banter between the two, it was serious business over what they felt were a series of somehow connected incidents. However, the duo's train of thought was broken when there suddenly came a transmission on the intercom. It was Perry White's secretary. "Mister White wishes to see you, it's an "urgent matter" in his words, so I'd take my time if I were you." The woman said, slight hostilty evident in her voice.

"I guess it's still no dice with that raise. Come on, Clara, duty calls." Louis said self assuredly as he took his gray fedora off the hat rack and headed out the door. "Let's see if that confidence stays put if this "urgent matter" is really serious." Clara thought with a smirk of superiority as she grabbed her small green hat.

Inside Perry White's office, cigar smoke as thick as a London fog covered the ceiling, as Clara and Louis walked in the door,  
photographer Jenny Olsen was already seated in a chair, her camera sat in her lap, her index finger tapping it's side, her fingernail made a clicking noise upon contact with the metal frame. Perry didn't even make eye contact with the two reporters as he ordered "Come in and sit down." in a swift, parental tone as he took another puff off his cigar. Clara and Louis obeyed without a word. Perry, his collar unbuttoned, looked up at the three as he took the smoking device out of his mouth and spoke in a flat, even voice. "Listen you three, word just came in that the panic's on downtown, there's a large riot going on between citizens and the police on West Thirty Fourth Street, the puzzling thing is, that instead of attacking the other side, the civlians and the cops seem to be attacking each other as well. I want you three to be my eyes and ears and have the story and pictures ready to print by tomorrow, got that?" White said, pointing his stub of a cigar at the three of them. "Yes sir, you can count on us!" Louis said as he got up from his chair, the two young women followed suit. As the three left his office,  
Perry hollered at them "And for crying out loud, don't go and get yourselves hurt! This company can't afford any more insurance claims!"

Outside the building, the three piled into Louis' sparkling red Oldsmobile and sped toward the scene, Louis let off on the gas pedal a bit, as he asked "Wait, where is West Thirty Fourth Street, exactly?" in a confused manner.

"I think it's in that direction!" Clara exclaimed, her piercing blue eyes wide with shock, as she pointed to a plume of black, foreboding looking smoke rose in the distance!

"Criminy! Hold on tight, ladies!" Louis warned with fear evident in his voice as he gunned the engine, and high tailed it towards the smoke's direction, blowing past stop signals and swerving around slower moving vehicles as if they were non existant!

In the skies above Metopolis, a large, golden, otherworldly craft with the shape and markings of a human skull, floated gently among the clouds, the people on the ground oblivious to it's looming presence. Inside, the silouhette of a human figure ran his hands over some bulb like objects on what appeared to be the ship's control console. The bulbs emitted an unearthly orange glow when the hand swept over them, a large screen attached to the roof of the craft illuminated, revealing the chaos in the streets below. Footage of citizens and police beating, kicking, and stomping, each other with stone cold rage in their bloodshot eyes! Storefront windows were smashed in with whatever objects they could find, be it bricks, stones, and even trash cans. They also began setting buildings ablaze with homemade torches, the shops and offices consumed by the flames in mere seconds! Since the fire department was caught in the melee of fists and weapons, there was no one to combat the white hot blazes! The being stared at the screen and heartily chuckled as if the terrifying sight held some form of humor to him.

"Perfect! Yes, perfect!" He said in a deep, throaty voice which held a form of sadistic pleasure. "As soon as these worthless fools are done destroying each other, the city shall be mine for the taking!" The mysterious stranger let out a cackling, insidious laugh.

The three arrived near the scene of the action, Louis' red hot tires squealed on the asphalt as he came to an abrupt stop ahead of the violent mass violence and vandalism. "Goodness! It's worse than I thought, Clara, stay in the car, and out of sight, Jenny, let's go!" Louis ordered as he and Jenny exited the car, and crouched by another nearby vehicle, Louis began writing furiously on his notepad and Jenny began to ready her camera.

Clara angrily glared at Louis as she stated with stalwart indignation "That Louis! Even in a crisis like this, he's not willing to share credit on a story, how pigheaded!" Then, all of a sudden, out of the once blue sky, now crimsoned by the flames of the burning cityscape, the skull shaped craft emerged and hovered over the blackened city like a stationary angel of death, anticipating it's chance to attack!

Jenny caught sight of it and shouted "Louis, look! Up there!" pointing towards the ship with dire urgency. Louis turned to look, and froze in shock! "W- what is that thing?" he asked, his knees weak with fear! Jenny aimed her camera at the object and snapped a picture while saying "I don't know, but it's appearing in tomorrow's Planet!" in a somewhat fascinated voice.

Now Clara had seen the ship, and thought to herself "That thing must be causing all this mayem!"

Inside the craft, the mysterious silouhette caught sight of Jenny and Louis standing under his ship, taking notes and pictures. "So, there's two Earthling's who haven't been affected yet, I think I'll play with one of them a little first!" He waved his hand over another illuminating bulb, The ship's mouth opened with a loud metallic creak!

"Louis, look out!" Jenny shouted in warning. But before Louis could react, he was quickly sucked into the cavernous mouth in a strong, bright red, tractor beam! "Louis!" Jenny screamed in terror, as he was absorbed into the golden skull! Clara was utterly speechless as she watched all this with her mouth frozen in open horror! Then, the ship began to ascend to the scarlet clouds once more!

"That alien's taking Louis with him!" She thought in horror, before strengthening her reslove, furrowing her brow and announcing bravely "This looks like a job for Superwoman!" before, leaping from the car, and looking for a safe transforming area away from the rioting public. Clara looked all about the city in a hurry, before coming to a private alley between two nondescript buildings. She smiled with relief, and rushed inside. Once there, she quickly and eagerly stripped her jacket and shirt off, revealing the large red "S" on her dark blue leotard which tightly stretched over her two rather large and supple bosoms. She undid her bun, letting her jet black hair fall. She removed her glasses, and let her skirt fall, showing off the leotard covering her firm, atheltic legs! Then she kicked her shoes off, revealing her full, colorful Superwoman costume! Superwoman then took a mighty leap, and ascended to the red and black sky, in persuit of the alien craft!

Louis came out of his daze, and looked around, the fog of confusion just beginning to lift it's misty veil from his eyes.  
The ship's interior was bright, covered with futuristic equipment. steel pillars with buttons and switches ranged all around the craft. a control panel with what appeared to be orange lightbulbs sticking out of them, they binked off and on in rapid succession. Louis tried to move foreward to examine the ship further, but found that he had been cuffed into metallic shackles that were fused to the ship's floor!

"Well, it appears that you have awakened, Mr. Reporter." A calm, yet dark tone came to Louis' ears, Louis looked to his right, and saw the being standing before him. He was well over six feet tall, with a human appearance, and had a firm, muscular appearence. He was dressed in a black body suit of an unknown material that covered everything except his head and forearms.  
His skin was as green as a lizard's, and it appeared to be moist and clammy. He was bald with what appeared to be red diodes fused into his skull with large pulsating veins connected to each one. Another bizarre thing was the beings eyes, there were no whites to them, they were completely black, the lights in the ship reflected off them, he had no eyebrows.

Louis was so terrified by the sight of him, that he initially shuddered when he spoke. "H-How did y-you k-know what I d-do?"

The alien being pointed to one of the orbs stuck in his head and softly replied "These told me. You see, while you were coming out of your stupor, I peered inside your mind."

Louis was dumbstruck by that concept, he gulped and fearfully asked "W-Who are y-you?"

The alien narrowed his black, doll-like eyes, as he smiled with a mouth full of perfectly white and straight teeth. "I'm glad that you asked, Mister Lane." His cold, deep voice now showing a sense of pride as he contined. "My name is Vril Dox,  
I am a scientist from the planet Colu, which is quite far from this solar system. The beings of my planet have a far greater intelligence rate of than you humans! We also posess certain extra sensory powers, such as the ability to read minds, which I am doing now as we speak. I believe this "Superwoman" you're thinking of is some form of protector. And from what I gather,  
you are quite fond of her. Well, these thoughts are futile, as there is no way your precious hero will be able to find you,  
let alone rescue you!" Dox concluded with a loud shout.

Louis glared at the vile alien with contempt and confidently stated "She hasn't failed me yet!" Before softening his tone and asking "So, how and why did you make most of the citizens of Metropolis attack each other?"

Dox smirked and replied calmly "Well Mr. Lane, I do get bored from time to time. So often I take my ship to other planets and use my astounding mental abilities to have turn the inhabitants of one of the cities against one another, until they are completely destroyed, then I shrink the city with my ship's ray, and add it to my collection, which I place on display,  
as you can see."

Louis looked around the the ship once more, On a nondescript desk, there were a collection of bizzare floating glass globes with what appeared to be small plastic cities inside! "You mean to tell me that those are actual shrunken cities?!" he asked with shock.

"Yes, that's indeed what I mean to tell you." Dox said, his low, resonant voice cold and uncaring. "As for how I did it.."  
When suddenly, there came a loud banging noise from below! "What is that? A meteor shower?!" Dox asked with surprise,  
only to have a human fist burst effortlessly burst through the steel floor! "What?!" Dox shrieked. "My hero, you've come!" Louis expressed gratefully as Superwoman smashed completely through and stood heroically with her hands on her hips, her eyes angrily focused on Dox.

"Alright, you alien slime, give me back my friend, and release your vile grip on the city's inhabitants at once!" Superwoman indignantly shouted at the alien scientist, her face full of righteous feminine fury!

Dox ignored the woman of steel and turned back to Louis, saying "You were asking how I got the citizens of Metropolis against each other. I'll show you." Dox then placed his fingers lightly on some of the diodes, and closing his eyes. The diodes began to glow as an extremely painful high pitched whine hit the air Louis' expression changed from a painful cringe, to a violent grimace, his eyes became full of rage, his nostrils flared, and his mouth drew back in an animal snarl, as he growled viciously, Dox then turned to Superwoman with a smile, only to have his face fall, as Superwoman was still standing in her heroic pose.  
"Well, I suppose it doesn't work on people such as yourself, Superwoman, but I doubt you'll attack your precious admirer!" Dox shouted as he waved his hand over one of the bulb controls on his console, which released the restraints on Louis.

Louis crouched and growled like an angry beast, as he prepared to attack! Superwoman thought nervously to herself "I'm sorry in advance if I hurt you, Louis." regretfully. Louis shouted in an extremely loud voice, and then rushed towards The Woman of Steel, Superwoman grabbed Louis and very gently applied pressure to the back of his neck, Louis then went limp in Superwoman's hands. Superwoman kneeled down, and carefully placed Louis's unconcious form on the ship's floor, then rose to meet Dox's cold black eyes again.

"Nice going, Superwoman. But you'll never get me when I have this on me!" Dox triumphantly stated, as he once again focused the energy of his diodes. This time, however, a powerful energy field with a glow as bright as a bolt of lightning suddenly surrounded him! Dox laughed maniacally as he informed The Maiden of Might "This, Superwoman, is an Ultra Force Barrier. It contains elements that can discourage even the most powerful force that goes against it, especially you!" Dox stated, before throwing back his head, and letting out another booming psychotic laugh that resounded across the walls of the ship like a massively loud roll of thunder. "And while I'm protected, let's see you fight off some of my psychic beams of Clounian energy!"  
Dox assuredly yelled.

Superwoman clenched her fists and tensed her mighty muscles as she braced herself. Dox placed his hands to the diodes again,  
and concententrated deeply, his eyes firmly shut, the pulsating veins in his head pumping out a steady rythym. The diode on his forehead began to glow with an unearthly light, as suddenly, an illuminating red beam as bright as the sun, shot from Dox's diode, straight at Superwoman! The beam struck The Woman of Steel with about as much force as an eighteen wheel truck hitting her head on! But upon contact, the beam simply bounced off Superwoman's ample chest without even fazing her!

Dox's face sank upon witnessing this fact, however, he continued to fire beam after beam at Superwoman as she slowly and confidently approached him, the whole time placing her hands on her hips and letting the blasts hit her full on the chest to show that it wasn't affecting her!

Finally, Superwoman came right up to Dox, and folded her arms with a valiant expression on her face, stating in a voice that sounded somewhat disappointed "Don't tell me that's all you have!"

Dox just gritted his teeth and grunted "Well, at least you can't break through my Ultra Force Barrier!" The Maiden of Might simply smiled pleasently and swiftly reached one of her hands right through the barrier shattering it's affect, and grabbed Dox by the throat and lifted him over her head, as if he was weighless! "B-But that's impossible! You couldn't have been able to break through my barrier! It's impossible!" he screamed as he began to choke.

Superwoman smiled broadly and said with triumph in her voice "You've just met the woman who can do the impossible!"

She dropped Dox on the floor, leaving Dox to gasp for air, then ran over to the still unconcious Louis and slightly shook him by the shoulders to rouse him "Louis! Louis! Wake up!" she said urgently. As Louis began to come to, Dox fled to his console and ran his hands over the bulbs. A red blinking light and blaring siren went off!

"That's the self destruct mechanisim, Superwoman! Think you can get off before this ship explodes?" Dox challenged the Woman of Tomorrow.

"I know that I can!" Superwoman said assertively as she grabbed Louis and put him in the crook of her arm, she then looked for Dox, but wasn't able to find him. Not wasting any time, Superwoman jumped down the hole she had smashed in the floor and without having to let go of Louis, pried the mouth of the skull ship open with her free hand, before soaring out into the night sky, just as the ship exploded into a glorious ball of yellow and orange flame!

The headline in the Planet the next day read " "Braniac" Alien's Scheme Foiled; Calm Restored to City" The byline read "Story by Louis Lane" a sub headline read "Superwoman Vanishes Once Again"

In Clara and Louis' office, the two were putting away the papers related to the case in their files, Clara turned to Louis and said "Good thing Jenny got out of that incident safely and got those pictures published."

"Yes, the Mayor says he won't prosecute the civilians and Police in that riot if they help clean up the mess that they made. Too bad I can't remember a lot of what happened after I was rescued." Louis said with a confused face as he scratched the back of his head.

Clara smirked and said gratefully "Well, it's a good thing you got out of that alien predicament."

Louis chuckled and responded "Right, Clara! Thanks to Superwoman!"

Clara turns to us and smiles heroically, pulls down her glasses and gives us a knowing wink!

THE END


End file.
